Coordination-based distributed constraint solving in DICE

Abstract

DICE (DIstributed Constraint Environment) is a framework for the construction of distributed constraint solvers from software components in a number of predefined categories. The framework is implemented using the Manifold coordination language, and delivers coordination services to these components. The coordination services implement existing protocols for constraint propagation, termination detection and splitting of constraint satisfaction problems. DICE combines these protocols with support for parallel search and the grouping of closely related components into cooperating solvers. In addition to these facilities, the paper describes the DICE framework architecture, and gives a report on its implementation.

A Comparative Study of Arithmetic Constraints on Integer Intervals

“…In this paper we discussed a number of approaches to constraint propagation for arithmetic constraints on integer intervals. To assess them we implemented them using the DICE (DIstributed Constraint Environment) framework of [10], and compared their performance on a number of benchmark problems. We can conclude that:…”

“…These experiments were performed using a single solver of the DICE (DIstributed Constraint Environment) framework. DICE [10] is a framework for solver cooperation, implemented using techniques from coordination programming. It is developed around an experimental constraint solver, called OpenSolver, which is particularly suited for coordination.…”

Twenty years of coordination technologies: COORDINATION contribution to the state of art

“…• the DICE framework architecture is described and a report on its implementation is given [99]. DICE (Distributed Constraint Environment) is a framework for the construction of distributed constraint solvers from software components.…”